anxiety. Suggestions to help?

Never tried micro-dosing, (just regular) .  I can see where doing  "Just enough" could be beneficial. It's been years but I was into the grateful dead for a couple.......   decades .  We did some "Cerebral Vitamins" as Timmy Leary used to call them back then. I  had different results while "peaking".  Most times good but it could go the other way depending on who where and what you were doing at the time. But the feeling when you're "back" ? was always the same. For me I had a sense of calm and confidence that I normally didn't have. If you've done them you know what I'm talking about, like you're not fucking up, nothing to be nervous about you're doing just exactly what you're meant to be doing. It helped me recognize how much trivial nonsense that would normally stress me out didn't matter a hill of beans in the grand scheme of life. You feel on top of your game and like you "Know the secret" to not getting all wrapped up in human drama so you're happier and more content with yourself. The best times I ever had on them was surfing, I felt so clued into the ocean it's like I knew right where to be, even if I ate shit on a big wave the beating and hold downs weren't even scary, I felt confident but not in a cocky way, it's hard to describe. You feel like you're connected to a much larger sense of being part of the planet and whatever is bothering you is just some human bullshit that won't matter in the long run. Anyway back on topic I can totally see how if you could get that calming and "Knowing" feeling without going tooo far down the rabbit hole.  When I found out my kids (now in there 30's) had tried them a couple times we came up with this analogy. "They'll open up a door to parts of your brain you didn't know were there". "But you have to be careful, you  just want to open the door and take a peak"  "You don't need to kick the door down and go running down the hallway...."   A little goes a long way.    

I also agree with the micro dosing. One of my older sister's had a lot of issues growing up depression, bulimia, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, etc. She has tried everything under the sun to deal with those issues, some worked for a bit, some made it worse. But after alot of persuading and my awesome, patient brother in law at his wit's end with her episodes in front of their kids. She went to a holistic rehab for a month and found that the micro dosing worked better than any of the mods. She takes them twice a day and is happy than I've seen her in a while. She takes anti abuse for the alcohol but the combo of the 2 seems to be the right combo. I'm 7 years younger than my 3 sisters, her being the youngest, and have seen and dealed with some scary crazy stuff growing up. But she has the best heart and is a great mother, I'm so happy she found a balance. Sorry for the rant, but give it a try. Can't hurt.

Not to be “that guy”, but Step 1 is minimizing negativity.  Steer clear of agencies and agenda-driven websites that stoke the flames, and channel that energy in a positive direction.
 

There are no victors in internet wars, just never-ending escalations and continued digging into already deep holes.  Seriously, what’s the point?

Want less stress?  Put the phone down & walk away; you’ll thank me later…
 

You can develop health anxiety worrying about how you feel.  It's a downward spiral, anxiety over anxiety.  Best thing to do is go outside in nature, look at the tree tops or in the distance and hold your mind still.  My favorite trick is practice balance on a mountain bike, do some nose wheelies and just have fun.  Hard excercise will get you out of a bad stint of anxiety, but if its long-term stress/anxiety hard excercise will knock you down further (will feel wired-running on too much cortison/adrenaline).  Get outside and do something enjoyable.  Put the phone down, avoid social media and the news for a bit.  For sleep - take magnesium, L-theanine and inositol.  If you are really in trouble, get Unisom.  You got this!

I suffer from occasionally serious anxiety and depression from my 7 concussions (thank you motocross) and have battled alcoholism and anger management issues because of it. Magic shrooms are a huge help since I refuse to take anything that is made in a lab by big Pharma.

That said, exercise and taking time to check out mentally is a huge help as well. pilotx253's advice is spot on.

Go buy a dirt bike and go riding again. 

Anything but Psych drugs. Says right on the bottle that it may cause suicide/Homicide. They don't put these warnings on there to sell more of them. They were forced to put them there by the FDA. Make up your own mind. Jorden Peterson spent a year getting off of them. In fact, I have a friend that runs a drug rehab clinic and according to him he prefers getting someone off of Heroin as it is more predictable. 

Hey man I don’t have a lot to add but I totally understand what you’re feeling and just wanted to add some words of encouragement 

you won’t feel like this forever and you CAN get through this! I was dealing with the same stuff a few short months ago but once I took care of somethings in my personal life I didn’t realize were bugging me so much it kind of slowly died away 

indica really helped me a lot way back when idk how you feel about marijuana but I would suggest it if you think you’re the type that would take to it well

Wishing you the best!!

Yes being 1 with nature is great for the soul. They deleted my post again. Listen to Native American type of music. On yt Heal your soul Ancestral chants from Native Smericans. At 7+ min it gets amazingly good. I went threw a worst hell that people couldn’t imagine from 5 to almost 10. I spent countless hrs in the woods the safest place to hide on the farm. Prayed to the Indian Gods since the 1 God did nothing. But how r you driving truck ? It is boring now even dealing with numerous Eastern Europe language people and mainly running the ne . It keeps you on your toes. I,m learning my ancestor language of Iroquoin- it’s Native American Oneida - Onyota a ka. Hello- say-go- Lee. Thank you- Yaw ^Ko.  I hv a couple pals that r pharmacist. The most common drug is for anxiety. 

I feel for you man...  if this is a road you want to travel, i would help you out.

Regarding LSD.

First, no its illegal with only exceptions for research institutes.  It is non addictive and non toxic - When you take a "trip" it is lengthy, 8-12 hours of varying intensity as it wears off, and by the end you are mentally tired.  I remember my first few times, it was a mind blowing experience that i knew i would want to do again someday, but not right away. Like being gone on a vacation, its great but once you get home you are glad to be back, and you might plan another one for next year.  You almost cant do it too often because your bodies tolerance for it is extreme (I want to clarify, you can do too much if you go overboard, i'm referring to whether its addictive or not).  If you try and do it 2 days in a row, you would need probably 3-4 times as much the second day to feel the same effects as the day before... and again that much more the next day, so from that perspective it doesn't really work or make sense.  Also, you just cant function in your daily life while on it, you have to dedicate a day or evening to do it.

https://maps.org/

M.A.P.S. is probably the most advanced research group in the field, although their website doesnt give you a ton of info, other than a broad overview explaining what they use it for and that they have found it to be safe.  I really do recommend the netflix doc "how to change your mind" as an intro.  Also you can google "psychedelic assisted therapy" to do more research. Also Joe Rogan Experience #1678 – Michael Pollan would be good to listen to.

I am no doctor, but i would say that you should take 1 tab of LSD first.  With the "demons" (for lack of a better term) that you are experiencing, you will no doubt have some tough times through your trip as you confront the things going on in your life, but you will also have beautiful moments as well.  Its normal to struggle through the tough stuff as you confront it and think about it - but some say thats why it works.  Also, do it while you are doing a relaxing activity - not sure what your age/situation is, but a bike ride down a paved path with earbuds and your favorite music is amazing.  If you are traveling down a dark path of thoughts and want to move on, do something to get your mind on a new subject.  If you decide to try something like this, send me a DM and i could give you more tips and info on what to do and what to be prepared for.

It may be beneficial with dealing with your son in that, it could give you a new angle or perspective on how to approach him.  It really does give you a new way to look at problems, thats why its popular in the tech industry as it helps them think outside the box.

As sumdood mentioned above, the real benefit for the anxiety/depression comes in the days after.  You have a sort of afterglow the next day where you wont fully feel back to normal.  you wont be paranoid or high, but there is still something there lingering and you will have a feeling of connectedness with everything.  To me, the day after a trip is what it feels like to micro dose so i suppose its just still lingering in your body a little bit.

On another topic, i see that ketamine therapy is available in san antonio which might be another avenue to try... i have no experience with it, but i know its being used and studied so it may be worth checking out.

Why cycle ashwagandha? Is that an efficacy thing?  

Step away from things and, decompress awhile. 
I deal with some anxiety. Often times,  it’s at work while trying to interpret prints that are absolute shit. Nothing like getting  handed a set with the expectation you’ll be plumbing right away. Only to get on site and, these pieces of shit might as well be written in Braille. 

When I’m feeling overwhelmed or, anxious I just set them down and, walk away for awhile. More often then not, I’ll be calmer when I come back and, start understanding them. 

Sometimes all it takes a just a break from things regardless of how minimal the time is to reset a little. 

Some say it is, just like NAC. 
I ran out so I took a break to see if there was a difference. 

Hey there, sorry to hear you're dealing with anxiety and the physical symptoms that come along with it. Sounds like you're doing a great job with the breathing exercises and self-talk. Have you ever tried kava?